Laugh a Little

Humor can and should be a key component of any teacher's classroom.  Using humor in the classroom is beneficial to both the student and the teacher.  The introductory chemistry classes of Tom Gufrey are a testament to this fact.  His students have been observed to be actively engaged and participating far more than students in other classes, not hesitating to ask questions and eagerly volunteering to work out problems in class.

It is important, though, not to let comedy become a distraction.  Here are some helpful tips in how to use humor effectively.

-Be sure you are relating to the appropriate age group.
-Steer clear of inside jokes between you and just a few students.
-Be creative.  Use jokes, anecdotes, cartoons, etc.
-Do not use off-color humor.
-Don't try too hard.  Be yourself.  Students can see if you're "faking" it.

So relax a little and have some fun!  The more you enjoy yourself while teaching, the more your students will enjoy learning.

Technology Goes Social

We've already discussed technology being implemented in the classroom.  There are reports, though, that suggest that technology that is social is most beneficial to students.

An article at mashable.com summarizes the reasons why social media should be used in today's classrooms.  Some of these key points are:

• Social Media Is Not Going Away
• Students are familiar with this technology.  Use their technology to your advantage.
• Safe Social Media Tools Are Available -- And They're Free
• Many teachers are scared to use this sort of technology for fear of predators.  Fear no more!  There are many sites available, like kidblog.org, that are safe for student use.
• Social Media Encourages Collobaration Instead of Cliques
• Using social tools reflects more of the real world collaboration seen in most businesses today.  

Embrace technology, especially social media, and you will see results in your classroom!

High-Tech Classrooms

As technology advances, many teachers are reluctant to utilize the new tools available to them.  According to the US Department of Education, though, bringing technology into the classroom can have some huge benefits.  The key is in using the right types of gadgets.  The best items to use are those that are interactive.  Tools  that allow students to be more involved in what they're learning are best.  Using these types of items increases student motivation and readies students for a technologically based business world.  Some important things to remember when trying to implement new technologies at a school:

-Use it often.  Students cannot benefit from the technology if they're only exposed to it a few times a week.
-Be sure to have properly functioning tools.
-Always have a tech-support person handy.
-Be sure all teachers are properly trained.

Good-bye, Summer.

Almost every student from kindergarten through high-school lives for three little words:  June, July, and August.  Some research shows, however, that this system used in most of the United States may need to be revamped.  Research on this subject is available because many districts across the nation have started switching to year-round schools.  Several websites state some benefits to a year-round school system, such as the Center for Public Education, and FamilyEducation.

These benefits include:

-Students don't experience set-backs over the summer.
-Teachers spend less time reviewing.
-There are more opportunities for remedial classes in the short breaks between sessions.

Besides the benefits to the students, there are also monetary benefits to the school district, and most parents react in a positive manner towards year-round school schedules.

Let's make some rules.

Any parent or teacher will tell you:  teenagers don't like rules.  There's a number of reasons for that, mainly that teenagers are in the process of developing their own advanced reasoning skills.

While younger students are able to see rules as concrete (although of course they don't always obey) teenagers start thinking about rules and consequences for themselves and whether or not they think the rules really make sense.  While at times this can be frustrating whenever you're trying to keep some order in the classroom, it's easy to use this to your advantage.

Get your students involved in making classroom rules.  Letting them think about what sort of rules need to be followed and why helps them to see that some rules are necessary.  Also, allow them to come up with suitable punishments for breaking the rules.  Coming up with these ideas together will benefit teenagers thinking skills as well as provide a, hopefully, more orderly classroom.

Sleep in!

Medical research studies in recent years have theorized that in adolescent years, teenagers need to sleep around 9 hours and 15 minutes every night.  Not only that, but due to certain brain hormones being released, teens tend to need this sleep from around 11 PM until 8 AM.  The later release of this hormone due to circadian rhythms makes it nearly impossible for high school aged students to fall asleep earlier than this time.

Why, then, with this well-known research do high schools still start on average at 7:15 AM?  In a well documented study by the University of Minnesota, having a start time of 8:30 AM or later provides immense benefits to students.  Students reported getting better grades and data showed a decrease in dropout rates and fewer cases of depression.

So go ahead!  Get that extra hour of sleep, and see vast improvements in your students' academic performance and personal well being.

Fine arts classes are still important!

There have been debates for years about the value of fine arts education for students.  Many researchers claim that the arts improve students' performance in core subjects such as math, science, or english.  However, a 2000 study by Ellen Winner and Lois Hetland concluded that the arts have no such effects on student performance.  Since then, Ms. Winner and Ms. Hetland have endured criticism from arts educators everywhere.  They are now striking back, saying that they strongly support fine arts education, just not for the reasons cited by many other researchers and educators.  In their new book (reviewed here), the two women along with co-authors Shirley Veenema and Kimberly Sheridan state a number of other valuable skills developed through fine arts education.  Through fine arts classes, students:


-Learn to see and visualize the world better
-Become more persistent
-Develop a more playful attitude
-Develop the ability to learn from their mistakes
-Learn to make critical judgments and justify said judgments

Involving your students

The last thing any teacher wants to be is boring.  One of the best ways to avoid this is to get your students involved.  Not only does it keep them from tuning you out while you lecture, but hands-on learning, or experiential education is a proven way for students to learn more effectively.  Some key benefits to this type of teaching are:

-Students are forced to think more critically about the subject.
-Every student will have a different experience, facilitating discussion and debate.
-Students take away a working knowledge of the subject, not just facts on paper.

It is important to realize, though, that not all experiences and activities are valuable.  Activities should not be used just to wake up students.  The activities must be pertinent to what is being taught and add something worthwhile to the students' understanding of the subject.

Same-sex classrooms?

Ask almost any high school teacher what the single greatest distraction to their students is and you will inevitably receive one answer:  the opposite sex.  It has been arguably known for years that single-sex classrooms boost overall academic performance in both males and females due to the lack of distraction over who is dating whom or impressing the cute boy/girl in the next row.  New research suggests even greater benefits.  Some of these benefits include

-Improved performance in reading, writing, and math in males
-Improved performance in science and reading in females
-Higher academic aspirations
-Break down of gender stereotypes

There is fierce opposition to single gender schools, stating that it is discriminatory and does not provide equal educational opportunities to all students.  After reading the research, though, I think it might need to be reconsidered.

Get kids moving!

According to a study performed by the University of Gothenberg in Sweden, there may be a direct link between aerobic fitness and academic performance.  Data collected from Swedish men serving in the military show a positive correlation between aerobic fitness and average test scores in all subjects.  The study also indicated that increasing physical fitness between the ages of 15 and 18 as the brain is still changing will lead to greater intelligence scores.  A report by New York City's Health Department and Department of Education demonstrated similar findings.

What does this mean to high schools today?  Childhood obesity has become famous, or rather infamous, in recent years.  Most public and private schools are making efforts to offer healthier foods and to help students be more active.  If these tentative findings are proven to be true, high schools have an even greater responsibility to keep their students active.  More specifically, physical education needs to be a core component of any high school curriculum.  In my own experiences, I only participated in a physical education course for one semester during my high school career.  (Which couldn't have made me happier, might I add.)  Looking at this research, though, I wonder if I was slighted a crucial element of my education.